Land Adjacent to Gibraltar Cottages , East Knighton, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8LJ

Planning appeal 3307803 at Land Adjacent to Gibraltar Cottages , East Knighton, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8LJ (Dorset) was allowed in part (a split decision) on 9 December 2024 by Inspector Bale M, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the activities constitute a material change of use of the land (Ground c).

Without planning permission, the material change of use of the land from an agricultural use to a mixed use consisting of a) storage, and b) timber cutting and processing

Authority: Dorset
Appeal type: enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: other · Change of use
Inspector: Bale M
Postcode: DT2 8LJ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the activities constitute a material change of use of the land (Ground c)
Whether planning permission should be granted for the matters alleged (Ground a)
Whether the steps required by the enforcement notice exceed what is necessary to remedy the breach (Ground f)

What decided it

The storage of timber collected from elsewhere and processed for domestic use unconnected to the land, combined with the presence of machinery visible from public footpaths, constitutes a material change of use that harms the character and appearance of the rural area and conflicts with development plan policies.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Policy COPolicy DPurbeck Local Plan Part 1 2012

How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.

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The decision letter

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What an account adds to this decision

5 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024

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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.